


Simmer

by BabyYodasStepMom



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Elena bashing I guess, F/M, Minor Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29527623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyYodasStepMom/pseuds/BabyYodasStepMom
Summary: Bonnie Bennett returns from the Prison World- but after already dying twice she chooses to leave Mystic Falls (and all the life-threatening drama that comes with its inhabitants) behind, instead of returning to her old life.Five years later, she returns to mark the 10 year anniversary of her Grams' death a brand new woman, nearly unrecognizable to her former friends. Some of them take to this new version better than others.
Relationships: Bonnie Bennett/Damon Salvatore
Comments: 26
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *waves awkwardly*
> 
> Are action notes in the notes, cringe? Perhaps. But I needed to express how deeply uncomfortable I am with all this. I've been reading fanfic for over a decade and this is my first time attempting one. So umm...be nice?
> 
> (And thank you for reading)

Damon stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him before suddenly stopping- he knew that smell. He’d spent three interminable months breathing in that earthy mix of sage and lavender, complaining constantly about the “eau de potpourri” that wafted gently after Bonnie wherever she went. After four months without it, it was the best thing he’d ever smelled. Ever since the insufferable little martyr had sent him back, he’d been looking for a way to break her out with no success. It was a good distraction from the little psychopath Kai roaming around...and the simmering rage that threatened to overwhelm him every time he thought about the fact that Elena had chosen to forget him. To give up all their memories as though they meant nothing. The scooby gang insisted she’d done it out of desperation, that she’d missed him so much, so  _ violently _ , that forgetting had been the only way to save herself. Damon wasn’t sure if that mildly flattering thought was enough to make him forget that she gave up on him. He’d waited over a century for a backstabbing bitch and Elena, his true love, couldn’t even wait till Christmas. 

Damon refocused, trying to determine the source of the scent, pointedly ignoring the memory of the last time he’d smelled Bonnie in his bedroom. He identified the culprit lying on the bed, his own grey and white checkered flannel that the little witch had stolen from him and had been left with her in 1994. Damon’s head shot around, as though Bonnie would suddenly appear. It made just as much sense as this flannel doing just that. When she failed to materialize, he got closer to the shirt and saw a note pinned to the front, just barely covering a shoddily wrapped package. He also finally noticed what  _ wasn’t _ on his bed- Ms. Cuddles. Not daring to believe what now seemed obvious, he opened the letter:

_ Damon, _

_ I kept planning ways to announce my big return. Surprising Elena at our dorm. Waiting outside the café with Caroline’s favorite latte. Walking into Matt at the Grill. Jeremy...hmm I never figured out the best place to see him. But for you it was easy. For my psycho vampire nemesis...and the person I improbably wanted to see the most, I’d be in this kitchen, with a big stack of pancakes waiting. I’m actually great at pancakes by the way. I never shared that fact in the prison world because, let’s be real, you were mostly an asshole and never deserved it. But just this once, I’d grace you with my Bennett baking.  _

_ But I got back to Mystic Falls and I just felt...tired. I’ve died here- twice- and I’m barely 20. I’ve bled for my friends, lost my family for my friends, and in the end- I still had to save myself. I know you tried, and that means the world to me, but I think I’ve learned my lesson. I can’t give everything of myself for this town and the people in it. I’ve been here for a week you know- and my best friends in the world didn’t really seem to care that I was gone. Oh they were sad, but they’d accepted it. Another death to be mourned and move past. I’m not the one they turn the world upside down to save.  _

_ I saw how hard you were trying, heard all the plans you were making, but why was it just you? Why was my ~mortal enemy~ working harder to get me back than the girls I’ve known since I was 5? _

_ This is my 3rd chance at life, and I think it may be my last. Kai is still on the loose and once he knows I’m here and alive, there will be another target on my back. I don’t intend to be here waiting for him. So I’m leaving, I don’t know if or when I’ll return, but I need to take care of myself. It’s been too long since someone has. _

_ P.S Thank you for taking care of Ms. Cuddles _

_ P.P.S Use them carefully- She doesn’t remember now but I know you’ll get her back. This is what she wants and...it’s true love right? _

Damon stared at the note in disbelief. Leaving? Bonnie Bennett? Trusty, reliable Bonnie was abandoning her friends? His first instinct was that this was some kind of sick forgery, his Bon Bon would never leave her friends behind...leave him. They may have had a rough history but the prison world had brought them closer. She was his friend, the other side of the indescribable bond that forms when you’re trapped in the fox hole together with only each other to keep you sane. And for one brief drunken night, before reality sunk back in, it seemed like she could be more. He shook his head, banishing the thought. It was a low moment for both of them- before Kai had incensed Bonnie into unlocking her magic and revealed there was a way out after all. After that, their unspoken vow to never mention it again had gone into effect.

He started to unwrap the lumpy oval thing, gentling his hands when he heard clinking. He removed the final wrapping and revealed two identical tubes of blood-red liquid- the Cure. And two vials of it. “This is what she wants”- Elena of course. The thing she wanted more than anything else, her humanity. Damon huffed a laugh to himself, of course Bonnie couldn’t leave without performing one last selfless miracle. That, more than anything, convinced Damon the letter was real after all, his denial slipping away.

Damon lifted his flannel to his face, taking in the scent of his judgy little witch. He smiled before talking out loud to the empty room, “You can run Bon-Bon, go off and find yourself, but I’ll find you too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie returns to Mystic Falls and has an unasked for run in with someone from the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> I was beyond blown away by the reaction to my post in just one day. Blown away, and now terrified at the idea of people reading this, but you've all been spectacularly kind so thank you!
> 
> Kind of shocked I got this chapter up so quickly but I hope you guys like it.

Bonnie whipped past the “Welcome to Mystic Falls” sign, the top of her car down in defiance of the unseasonably cool temperatures, glasses shielding her green eyes from the unrelenting glare of the sun. She grimaced at the sign, flooded with traumatic memories of her childhood home until the day she finally put it in her rearview. 

_ The sound of crickets was the first sign. Bonnie ducked her head reflexively as the shadow of a bird passed overhead, before realizing what it meant. It worked. She was home. She’d reappeared in the woods and in the distance she could see the familiar crypts and tombstones of the graveyard. After transporting herself through two prison worlds, it was hard to believe this wasn’t another illusion. Another perfect replica of the place she longed for so badly. The chittering sounds of the wildlife helped center her, as well as the thrum of Qetsiyah’s magic flowing under her skin. It didn’t feel like hers, vast and more powerful than anything she’s managed on her own without expression, but it was familiar and cooperated with her, like it recognized her as family. Bonnie got up, dusted her knees off, tucked her hands into the sleeves of her stolen flannel and began the trek towards town. It was time to go home. _

Bonnie parked in front of her Grams’ old house, curls fluttering around her face in the breeze. She’d sold her childhood home but couldn’t bear to part with her last connection to her grandmother. It was also the safest place to be in a town of vampires, even her own friends hadn’t received an invitation inside and Bonnie valued that privacy. Eventually she’d have to see them, there was no way around that, but she wanted it to be on her own terms. 

Bonnie levitated her few bags to follow behind her as she walked through the front door before taking a look around. The house was mostly empty, she’d taken the photos and grimoires all with her when she left, but the furniture remained, covered in dusty plastic. With a wave of her hand the covers went flying and neatly arranged themselves in the corner and her luggage flew to the master bedroom, waiting patiently to be unpacked later. Bonnie crashed onto the couch, tired after the long drive from Austin. In the past five years she’d traveled a lot, New York, Boston, Nashville, New Orleans, but she’d settled into something of a life in Texas of all places. Bonnie’s stomach grumbled loudly, and she sighed.

“The most powerful bloodline in history and I still can’t magic up some fries when I want”, she complained to herself. 

In the bedroom, Bonnie grabbed an oversized hoodie, a baseball cap, and her sunglasses. She briefly considered magic-ing herself invisible the way she’d done when she first got back from the prison world, but decided that was a bit extreme. Still, she hoped the slipshod disguise would be enough to get through a quick grocery run unrecognized. She walked into town, enjoying the familiar sights- Mystic Falls may be a constant hotbed of murder and bloodshed but on a gorgeous spring day it looked like any other small town.

Aside from a lingering glance at a package of pork rinds, the grocery trip was uneventful. A bored-looking teenager rang up her purchases and looked at her with no recognition. On her way home she stopped in front of the rebuilt Mystic Grille, it had still been under renovation when she’d left town. Bonnie knew she should keep walking but the french fry craving hadn’t gone away. 

“It’ll be fine,” she told herself, “probably empty, it’s a bar in the middle of the day.” 

“When had that ever stopped Damon?”, a contrary little voice inside of her asked.

When a peek through the door revealed no familiar blonde head behind the bar, nor a black-haired head in front of it, she decided to take the risk.

“One order of sliders with cheese and two orders of fries. To-Go please.” Bonnie ordered quickly, still a little uneasy in the primary haunt of her mystic falls gang.

Bouncing from foot to foot impatiently, she scrolled through her phone for a distraction.

“Bonnie? Is that you?”

Bonnie froze at the sound of her name. “No, no...ahh shit! I knew I shouldn’t have stopped for the damn fries!” She continued to curse under her breath.

“Bonnie…”, the voice was amused now, “I know it’s you.”

She turned around with an awkward half-smile, 

“Hey Stefan.”

~~~

Stefan walked Bonnie home from the Grille, offering to carry her grocery bags.

“Such a gentleman”, Bonnie teased, relaxing after her initial freak out. 

Stefan did an exaggerated bow, tipping an invisible hat before grabbing the totes. Bonnie smiled, if she  _ had _ to run into anyone before she’d planned to, Stefan might very well be the best choice. They were friendly, but he didn’t come with all the history of Matt, Caroline, and Elena or all the confusing baggage of his brother.

They walked for a minute or two before Stefan finally broke the silence.

“So should I start with the obvious questions or work my way up?”

“Let’s work our way up, a girl always appreciates foreplay.”

Stefan raised an eyebrow, before looking around dramatically.

“Damon? Damon, is that you?” Bonnie punched him in the arm, and he chuckled.

“It’s so weird, I could have  _ sworn _ I just heard him.” 

“Shut up!” Bonnie laughed, semi-seriously thinking that one more mention of Damon’s name would summon him like Beetlejuice.

“Ok well, starting simple then, what brought you back?” Stefan asked. Bonnie’s smile dropped and she stared into the distance.

“It’s the 10 year anniversary of Grams’ death next week- May 17th”, she said, strangely detached.

Stefan looked down, regretting the part he played in the spell that had cost Sheila Bennett her life. 

“Bonnie I-...I never-”

“Stop. Don’t. There’s nothing you can do about it now.” Bonnie cut him off, walking faster, as though she could run away from the conversation.

“But I have to at least apologize!”

“Why?!” Bonnie yelled, coming to a standstill. “What does it accomplish? I’ve forgiven you. And Damon, or at least as close to forgiveness as I can get. But I’ll never forget. I lost Grams because I put other people’s happiness above my own, above the only real family I had left! How will your sorry fix that?!” Bonnie’s voice had gotten louder as she spoke, the silence after she finished speaking almost as deafening. Stefan placed a hand gently on her arm in silent apology, she shook it off before walking ahead.

Stefan broke the tension once more, “Caroline never gave up on you, you know. She’s had your welcome back party planned since the day you left. She updates it every once in a while because ‘she can’t come back to out of season decor!’” Stefan ended with a fond but terrible impression of his bubbly girlfriend.

Bonnie grinned, unable to fight it at the thought of such a typically Caroline act of neurotic devotion. “I missed her too...so much”, she confesses to Stefan. “I used to think about calling. But with her comes you, with you comes Damon...and Elena...and Katherine, the Originals, Travellers, Gemini Twins. It was too much, it had to be a clean cut.”

Stefan nodded in understanding but couldn’t help but prod further. 

“Damon looked for you. He’s probably still looking, and just stopped talking about it. For almost two years, he’d disappear randomly. Go off running at the slightest rumor that someone had spotted you.”

Bonnie laughed again, “I know. He actually got pretty close in Nashville. I got a heads up from a witch working at the bar and had to run out of town before he found me.” 

Stefan studied her reaction. At the mention of Damon, Bonnie’s face cycled between fondness, irritation, and amusement. He continued, “It really strained his relationship with Elena for a while. When she finally got her memories back, she couldn’t understand why he kept flitting off to find you.”

Bonnie’s face smoothed out, before plastering on a terrifyingly wide smile. 

“Oh, they got back together. I knew it was only a matter of time, good for them.”

“...Right.”

Bonnie and Stefan approached her front door and she turned to him. 

“Thanks for the help with the uh…”, Bonnie trailed off, waving the grocery bags awkwardly. “I know it’s just a matter of time until everyone figures out I’m here, hell I’m sure someone saw us walking together, but could you just...not tell anyone yet? I’m going to! I promise! I just need a bit more time.” Against her will, Bonnie’s tone took on a pleading edge. 

Stefan stared at her for a long moment, “Of course.” He leaned in and surprised her with a long hug. “Bye Bonnie”, he turned and walked back towards town.

“Bye”, Bonnie said to Stefan’s back, confused by the atypical affection. She went inside to unpack her groceries and warm up her now cold fries. 

~~~

“...I just don’t understand Damon! You’ve had the cure for five  _ years _ ! I understand that becoming human again is a big deal, really I do! But I thought...I thought you wanted forever with me.” Elena’s big brown eyes were wet with restrained tears and Damon’s stomach dropped at the usual guilt for upsetting her. 

“I do want it. Getting old, having rugrats, all of that”, he reassured her.

“Then why won’t you take it! You said to wait till I was 25, then we’d be the same human age. I turned 25 last year!” Elena’s tears were drying up, voice raising an octave as she prepared for yet another knock-down, drag out fight.

“I was thinking we could just wait a little longer. You know I kind of dig the sexy older woman look”, Damon cracked, eyebrows waggling suggestively. He hoped he could distract her from the fight he really didn’t want to have right now.

“Damon this isn’t a joke-”, Elena was interrupted by Stefan’s arrival at the Boardinghouse. Damon eyed his brother but Stefan kept walking towards the stairs, pointedly ignoring the scene unfolding. Stefan passed him, the smell of sage and lavender clinging to his clothes, and Damon’s head whipped to the side. 

In a blur, Stefan was pinned to the wall, Damon’s hand around his throat.

“Damon! What are you doing!” Elena yelled in the background, her human nose unable to pick up what his could. Damon paid her no mind as he looked his brother dead in the eye.

“Where is she?”


End file.
